EQUIRATINGS have given their top rating in the six-year-old category to AKD Cooley Lockdown, the event horse controversially overlooked by selectors to contest the World Breeding Championships at Le Lion d’Angers this weekend. EquiRatings gave the horse, ridden by Katie O’Sullivan, the number one rating with an average finishing score of 35.45.

“In 10 years of international eventing (2008 to 2017), in over 175,000 international results, the six-year-old horse with the best average finishing score over two or more international appearances hails from Ireland. Not only that, he represents one of the most in-form horse producers in the world with two graduates recently landing a famous Blenheim double – Cooley Cross Border (CCI3*) and Cooley Lands (CIC3* 8&9). AKD Cooley Lockdown has not only won his two international starts, but he has done so with record finishing scores that place his jockey, Katie O’Sullivan, ahead of Klimke, Jung, Fox-Pitt and Funnell.

“Cooley Rorkes Drift provided Ireland with an Olympic top-10 placing in 2016, maybe 2020 could see the record breaking six-year-old make the podium? Remember where you heard it first!” stated EquiRatings, the equestrian data science company which is run by international event rider Sam Watson and Diarmuid Byrne.

Owners Richard and Georgina Sheane said: “The incredible stats from EquiRatings prove beyond doubt that AKD Cooley Lockdown is not only the best six-year-old horse in the world today but he has the best form of any six-year-old horse in the last decade. Shocking considering he is in Glenealy, Co Wicklow, this weekend instead of at the World Championships.”

The couple stressed they wish every combination competing for Ireland at Le Lion this weekend the very best of luck.

“We wish them all the very best of luck there but what’s frustrating for us is that our horse is so far ahead of anyone else and for Katie O’Sullivan, Le Lion was her Olympics really and it’s over. The best should go, plain and simple. It’s very disappointing to have the horse, rated by EquiRatings as the best six-year-old in the world, standing in his stable this weekend. It’s not only frustrating for us as owners, breeders and producers, it’s really terrible for the sport of eventing overall. We wanted to win a medal in Le Lion, this horse was ours and perhaps Ireland’s best chance of doing that,” said Richard Sheane. Georgina Philips Sheane added: “It is like having Ronaldo and not playing him on your team!”

There was no comment from Horse Sport Ireland.